27 Feb 2018

Boteti villages are reeling in floods and the most affected villages are Mokubilo and Mmeya.

Mmeya Primary School is in dire need of strategic interventions that could rescue the school from  further damage by floods as the school has been filled up with large volumes of water flowing from a well point.

Ms Joyce Nkobodo said about 19 pupils could not report for classes due to various impacts of floods, noting that some of their houses were destroyed by floods.

Four households were destroyed by floods and one 73-year-old man was injured as his house fell on him and was treated the same day.

The deputy district commissioner, Mr Ewetse Selelo said tents, food and blankets have been secured for those who have been affected by floods.

In Mmatshumu, a borehole and a well point flowed towards the village into residential houses and efforts by the team to assess the situation and establish possible solutions were thwarted as some of the vehicles got stuck in water.

He said some of the mud houses were not strong enough to withstand the floods, adding that a command centre has been established at the rural administration centre where all affected victims could channel their reports.

Mr Selelo also said there were people who had been held up on the side of Lekhubu Island, and that assistance has been sought from the Botswana Defence Force to help with boats. He said there were tents that had been stationed at Rakops to assist in villages located in Boteti West in case of need.

Maintenance coordinator, Mr Tshepo Kalabeng from Debswana, who accompanied the Boteti disaster team for assessment at the said villages, stated that Boteti villages were located on a flat land and therefore prone to floods as the land was not sloping.

Mr Kalabeng said it would be difficult to use some of the heavy plant machines, most importantly in Mmatshumu, to address the situation by digging trenches that could divert water away from the residential area, citing fears that they could get stuck as they previously did.

Senior assistant council secretary, Mr Onthatile said the intention was to assess all the villages in Boteti so that they could be at par with how the villages had been affected.ENDS